In a high-performance sports car intended for on-track use it is essential to ensure that the driver has adequate protection in the event of an accident. For this reason, a survival cell is provided in the passenger compartment that is extremely strong so as to avoid deformation in the event of an extremely violent collision and is arranged in a central position. Controlled deformation elements are usually arranged in front of and behind the survival cell, which are designed to deform in the event of a collision so as to dissipate as far as possible the vehicle's kinetic energy at the moment of impact while preserving the integrity of the survival cell and reducing the decelerations to which the occupants of the survival cell are subjected.
The survival cell is protected on either side by lateral protection that prevents the intrusion of external objects. A first type of lateral protection consists of reinforcing bars which are attached to the frame (for example by welding or by gluing). A second type of lateral protection consists of a rigid protection shell that envelops each seat and has side boards that extend further, in line with the driver's head, so as to completely or almost completely cover the driver's head.
However, the side protections described above constitute a significant impediment to the entry and exit of the car's driver (and, where applicable, of the passenger); the entry and especially the exit from the car of the driver (and, where applicable, of the passenger) are thus relatively awkward operations, making difficult possible external help for the driver (and, where applicable, the passenger), among other things, after an accident.
The patent application FR2955809A1 and the patent application FR2939740A1 describe a car comprising a side headrest that is mounted to a side of the car movably (so as to make a rotary or a linear movement) and near to a corresponding rear seat so as to be positioned in an operating position in which the side headrest is located beside the rear seat in front of a door and in a stowed position in which the side headrest is positioned behind the rear seat and relatively far from the door.
The patent application FR2950578A1 describes a backrest of a rear seat of a small urban vehicle (a so-called A-segment “city car”) equipped with a lower fixed part (i.e. anchored to the vehicle frame) and a movable upper part (i.e. anchored to a rear door of the vehicle) to facilitate access from the back to the rear seats for the loading of goods.